The Baht Is So Strong...

[kamp]

Does anyone have a clue about why the bath is fo high? Bath/nok has been around 5,2-5,5 the last time I have in CM but today it was 4,6..

[KunMatt]

Strong Thai (and most Asian) economies. Very weak US Dollar.

Both bad factors for anyone paid from their home countries (like me!! )

[Spoonman]

Hate when the bath is to strong, I usually add some more cold water, maybe next time also try some less radox.

[bangkokrick]

dam_n you beat me too it Spoonman.

[britmaveric]

I normally take showers...

[cardholder]

Suggest that you PM Archimedes - I hear he has the answer.

[elkangorito]

Baht...again, it is Baht.

[PlanetX]

It can be interpreted as Baht or Bath in the Thai - English Translations

Edited October 20, 2010 by PlanetX

[elkangorito]

Please explain how Bath is said similarly to Baht?

IMHO, it should be 'Bart', to avoid confusion.

[metisdead]

It can be interpreted as Baht or Bath in the Thai - English Translations

I love it when long term "experts" (1400+ posts) jump on someone for this

It irks me too, it is BAHT!!!!!!

moving to economics although i too, had thought of a suitable reply to strong bathes (hard water?)....

bina

However the fact remains from the OP:

Does anyone have a clue about why the bath is fo high? Bath/nok has been around 5,2-5,5 the last time I have in CM but today it was 4,6..

Edited October 20, 2010 by metisdead
title edited to make better sense

[mommysboy]

Please explain how Bath is said similarly to Baht?

IMHO, it should be 'Bart', to avoid confusion.

Baht in Thai is obviously spelt quite differently. What we are used to is the English transliteration. A 't' on its own denotes a slightly softer sound a bit like an English 'd' sounds. Whereas 'th' is pronounced harder as in 'tea'.

Bart would indeed be better to our ear, but Thais would say 'bard' as in Shakespeare.

Nuff said!!!

[mommysboy]

Strong Thai (and most Asian) economies. Very weak US Dollar.

Both bad factors for anyone paid from their home countries (like me!! )

We know the baht is strong !!!. It's the explanation we are after: strong balance of payments, and investment bubble in bonds. Essentially banks, via QE, acquired a great deal of very cheap money which they have ploughed in to Thai bonds, and so they make a solid few per cent risk free. Unfortunately from the ex pat point of view that pumps up the currency. Luckily where there is a pump there is a dump.

USD is weak because of its shocking balance of payments and public debt, and because it has printed extra money which devalues whatever is in circulation.

[SergeiY]

It can be interpreted as Baht or Bath in the Thai - English Translations

... transliteration -- and 'English' isn't the only language that use the letters of the Latin alphabet.

And 'Bath' looks maybe odd for an English native speaker but not that much for a speaker of Norwegian.

And you can be pretty sure that those who insist that 'BAHT' is the only valid spelling and go anal about it - they can speak only one language, their native English and no other 2nd language.

[wasabi]

Baht not bath son.

[rodcourt49]

Hate when the bath is to strong, I usually add some more cold water, maybe next time also try some less radox.

..OP said 'the bath was so high'..so may need one of those little wooden 'currency stools' to climb up on..

Edited October 21, 2010 by rodcourt49

[Sirdar]

Strong Thai (and most Asian) economies. Very weak US Dollar.

Both bad factors for anyone paid from their home countries (like me!! )

We know the baht is strong !!!. It's the explanation we are after: strong balance of payments, and investment bubble in bonds. Essentially banks, via QE, acquired a great deal of very cheap money which they have ploughed in to Thai bonds, and so they make a solid few per cent risk free. Unfortunately from the ex pat point of view that pumps up the currency. Luckily where there is a pump there is a dump.

USD is weak because of its shocking balance of payments and public debt, and because it has printed extra money which devalues whatever is in circulation.

[Sirdar]

Being serious due to the economic downturn internationally Asian economies came our better than most western economies. Consequently all Asian currencies have strengthened enormously and is badly affecting exports and tourism. The thai government and others, are trying to get the Baht down to help their export trade. But the mismanagement of the US Dollar which is the reserve currency is affecting everyone badly. The British Governbment has been a little more effective than some. The dollar has slipped because the USA and China have a trade war going on with their currencies which helps no-one.

[SantiSuk]

Thai growth >8%. Typical falang growth <2%. Whose currency would you want to buy?

Edited October 21, 2010 by SantiSuk

[noise]

Maybe the baht is strong because interest rates are higher here and people get a better ROI?

[lonewolf99]

Please explain how Bath is said similarly to Baht?

IMHO, it should be 'Bart', to avoid confusion.

Bart...? Bart who ? aint no Bart round these parts.....

[morrobay]

Strong Thai (and most Asian) economies. Very weak US Dollar.

Both bad factors for anyone paid from their home countries (like me!! )

We know the baht is strong !!!. It's the explanation we are after: strong balance of payments, and investment bubble in bonds. Essentially banks, via QE, acquired a great deal of very cheap money which they have ploughed in to Thai bonds, and so they make a solid few per cent risk free. Unfortunately from the ex pat point of view that pumps up the currency. Luckily where there is a pump there is a dump.

USD is weak because of its shocking balance of payments and public debt, and because it has printed extra money which devalues whatever is in circulation.

Is there anyway you can speculate on a time frame when the 'investment bubble in Thai bonds could burst ?

[DonaldBattles]

The money changers of he world control the world currencies, just ask George Soros as he took the Pound and the Baht down. I have a several rusty US100 bills I bought at 56 to the $. Don't worry, time changes everything. There is so much money in the world that people want to invest where they make the most which is not in banks. Thailand has tried many times to curb the in flow of hot money but in a globalized economy a small country can't do much unless they freeze the currency. They did that up until 1997 and paid a big price to the IMF. The 15% tax on bond dividends has not had much effect.

The USA policy of maintaining the $ at a low price for product export is short sided except when they have to pay the oil import bill. The strong Thai Baht sure reduces their cost of imports. For all the unhappy exporters I did not hear them when the Baht was 25 to the $. Why now.